CHRISTOPHER A KAGAN writes:
> Do the new Audis have something called "drive-by-wire?" The explanation was
> that the more you press the gas pedal down, the ECU sends more fuel and air
> to the engine, etc. Is this true? I heard that this is the reason there
> won't be chips available for the S4 and newer Audis. Don't know if I
> believe that...
In a "drive-by-wire" system, instead of a mechanical cable linkage
between your accelerator pedal and the throttle valve, the throttle
valve is driven by a motor that is controlled by the ECU. Your
accelerator pedal only sends a signal to the ECU as a primary input,
but the ECU may vary the throttle opening based on other inputs
such as traction control, etc. BMW has been using drive-by-wire
in various models for some time.
Some of the new Audi models do have drive-by-wire. The Audi TT,
I think, has it. So does the VW new beetle. Not sure about the
new S4, but it's likely.
European Car magazine had some discussion about this. Some chip
tuning companies are worried about liability with this setup. If
the ECU controls the throttle opening and they modify the ECU firmware,
they may be opening themselves up to lawsuits if an accident occurs;
whether it has anything to do with said mods or not.
-Ti
96 A4 2.8 quattro
84 5000S 2.1 turbo
80 4000 2.0
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/// Ti Kan Vorsprung durch Technik
/// AMB Research Laboratories, Sunnyvale, CA. USA
/// ti@amb.org
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